diff --git a/examples/descriptors.rs b/examples/descriptors.rs
index 099578b..3955170 100644
--- a/examples/descriptors.rs
+++ b/examples/descriptors.rs
@@ -20,11 +20,16 @@ fn inspect_device(dev: DeviceInfo) {
     let dev = match dev.open() {
         Ok(dev) => dev,
         Err(e) => {
-            println!("\tFailed to open device: {}", e);
+            println!("  Failed to open device: {}", e);
             return;
         }
     };
 
+    match dev.active_configuration() {
+        Ok(config) => println!("  Active configuration is {}", config.configuration_value()),
+        Err(e) => println!("Unknown active configuration: {e}"),
+    }
+
     for config in dev.configurations() {
         println!("  Configuration {}", config.configuration_value());
         for intf in config.interfaces() {
diff --git a/src/device.rs b/src/device.rs
index 45d4659..1d4873d 100644
--- a/src/device.rs
+++ b/src/device.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use crate::{
-    descriptors::Configuration,
+    descriptors::{ActiveConfigurationError, Configuration},
     platform,
     transfer::{ControlIn, ControlOut, EndpointType, Queue, RequestBuffer, TransferFuture},
     DeviceInfo, Error,
@@ -44,7 +44,18 @@ impl Device {
         Ok(Interface { backend })
     }
 
-    /// Iterate over the configurations of the device.
+    /// Get information about the active configuration.
+    pub fn active_configuration(&self) -> Result<Configuration, ActiveConfigurationError> {
+        let active = self.backend.active_configuration_value();
+
+        self.configurations()
+            .find(|c| c.configuration_value() == active)
+            .ok_or_else(|| ActiveConfigurationError {
+                configuration_value: active,
+            })
+    }
+
+    /// Iterate over all configurations of the device.
     pub fn configurations(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = Configuration> {
         self.backend
             .configuration_descriptors()
@@ -53,6 +64,10 @@ impl Device {
 
     /// Set the device configuration.
     ///
+    /// The argument is the desired configuration's `bConfigurationValue`
+    /// descriptor field from [`Configuration::configuration_value`] or `0` to
+    /// unconfigure the device.
+    ///
     /// ### Platform-specific notes
     /// * Not supported on Windows
     pub fn set_configuration(&self, configuration: u8) -> Result<(), Error> {
diff --git a/src/platform/linux_usbfs/device.rs b/src/platform/linux_usbfs/device.rs
index 925bbac..9be49a6 100644
--- a/src/platform/linux_usbfs/device.rs
+++ b/src/platform/linux_usbfs/device.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,13 @@
-use std::{fs::File, io::Read, mem::ManuallyDrop, path::PathBuf, sync::Arc};
+use std::{
+    fs::File,
+    io::Read,
+    mem::ManuallyDrop,
+    path::PathBuf,
+    sync::{
+        atomic::{AtomicU8, Ordering},
+        Arc,
+    },
+};
 
 use log::{debug, error};
 use rustix::{
@@ -10,6 +19,7 @@ use rustix::{
 use super::{
     events,
     usbfs::{self, Urb},
+    SysfsPath,
 };
 use crate::{
     descriptors::{parse_concatenated_config_descriptors, DESCRIPTOR_LEN_DEVICE},
@@ -23,14 +33,17 @@ pub(crate) struct LinuxDevice {
 
     /// Read from the fd, consists of device descriptor followed by configuration descriptors
     descriptors: Vec<u8>,
+
+    sysfs: Option<SysfsPath>,
+    active_config: AtomicU8,
 }
 
 impl LinuxDevice {
     pub(crate) fn from_device_info(d: &DeviceInfo) -> Result<Arc<LinuxDevice>, Error> {
-        Self::open(d.bus_number(), d.device_address())
-    }
+        let busnum = d.bus_number();
+        let devnum = d.device_address();
+        let active_config = d.path.read_attr("bConfigurationValue")?;
 
-    pub(crate) fn open(busnum: u8, devnum: u8) -> Result<Arc<LinuxDevice>, Error> {
         let path = PathBuf::from(format!("/dev/bus/usb/{busnum:03}/{devnum:03}"));
         debug!("Opening usbfs device {}", path.display());
         let fd = rustix::fs::open(path, OFlags::RDWR | OFlags::CLOEXEC, Mode::empty())?;
@@ -52,6 +65,8 @@ impl LinuxDevice {
                 fd,
                 events_id,
                 descriptors,
+                sysfs: Some(d.path.clone()),
+                active_config: AtomicU8::new(active_config),
             }
         });
 
@@ -103,8 +118,24 @@ impl LinuxDevice {
         parse_concatenated_config_descriptors(&self.descriptors[DESCRIPTOR_LEN_DEVICE as usize..])
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn active_configuration_value(&self) -> u8 {
+        if let Some(sysfs) = self.sysfs.as_ref() {
+            match sysfs.read_attr("bConfigurationValue") {
+                Ok(v) => {
+                    self.active_config.store(v, Ordering::SeqCst);
+                    return v;
+                }
+                Err(e) => {
+                    error!("Failed to read sysfs bConfigurationValue: {e}, using cached value");
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        self.active_config.load(Ordering::SeqCst)
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn set_configuration(&self, configuration: u8) -> Result<(), Error> {
         usbfs::set_configuration(&self.fd, configuration)?;
+        self.active_config.store(configuration, Ordering::SeqCst);
         Ok(())
     }
 
diff --git a/src/platform/linux_usbfs/enumeration.rs b/src/platform/linux_usbfs/enumeration.rs
index dfc4dbf..7244bad 100644
--- a/src/platform/linux_usbfs/enumeration.rs
+++ b/src/platform/linux_usbfs/enumeration.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ use crate::Speed;
 pub struct SysfsPath(PathBuf);
 
 impl SysfsPath {
-    fn read_attr<T: FromStr>(&self, attr: &str) -> Result<T, io::Error>
+    pub(crate) fn read_attr<T: FromStr>(&self, attr: &str) -> Result<T, io::Error>
     where
         T: FromStr,
         T::Err: std::error::Error + Send + Sync + 'static,
diff --git a/src/platform/macos_iokit/device.rs b/src/platform/macos_iokit/device.rs
index df5f12b..feb719d 100644
--- a/src/platform/macos_iokit/device.rs
+++ b/src/platform/macos_iokit/device.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ impl MacDevice {
         }))
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn active_configuration_value(&self) -> u8 {
+        1
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn configuration_descriptors(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &[u8]> {
         let num_configs = self.device.get_number_of_configurations().unwrap_or(0);
         (0..num_configs).flat_map(|i| self.device.get_configuration_descriptor(i).ok())
diff --git a/src/platform/windows_winusb/device.rs b/src/platform/windows_winusb/device.rs
index cd2ed10..2a36f20 100644
--- a/src/platform/windows_winusb/device.rs
+++ b/src/platform/windows_winusb/device.rs
@@ -80,6 +80,10 @@ impl WindowsDevice {
         }))
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn active_configuration_value(&self) -> u8 {
+        1
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn configuration_descriptors(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &[u8]> {
         self.config_descriptors.iter().map(|d| &d[..])
     }